Annealing furance



Jan. 24, 1928. 1,556,924

R. H. SMITH ANNEALXNG FUMAC@ Filed March 14, 1925 @GOOGJQQ Patented Jan. 24, i928,

ROY H. SMLYTH, OF KENT, OHO.

.ANNEALING FURNACE.

Application filed March 14, 1925. Serial No. 15,489.

rlhis invention relates to inunovcments in annealing furnaces and more particularly to the mechanism for advancing the n'iaterial through the furnace anc discharging `the same from the furnace into the quenching tank..`

in annealing small metallic articles such as rivets and bolts it has heretofore been common practice to employ a substantially horizontal tubular screw conveyor extending .longitudinally within the chamber of the furnace and having` its discharge end over a quenching tank mounted belenv the discharge end of the furnace. The internal rib of the screw forms a helical passageway along the inner surface of the tube along Which material is advanced in separate masses resting upon the bottom of the tube` each mass being discharged separately and at intervals corresponding to the period of rotation of the screw.

It is the object of the present invention to obtain a more perfect `quenching of the articles by distributingthe discharge of articles from the conveyor throughout the ro` tation thereof so that the discharge of material into the quenchingn tank in bunches is avoided.

References should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through thefurnace and tubular conveyor; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale through the discharge end of the tubular conveyor: Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. t is a developedplan of the discharge end of the conveyor; Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the discharge end of a conveyor of modified construction; Fig. 6 is a developed plan of the discharge end of the conveyor shoivn in Fig. 5.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings in Fig. 1 of which shown an annealingr `furnace 1 of conventional construction having a cylindrical body and closed ends lined with suitable refrac tory material 2. The furnace l provides an elongated cylindrical heating chamber which may be heated by suitable burners 3 and, longitudinally of the furnace at the axis thereof, there extends a rotary tubular screw conveyor fl which serves to convey the material to be heated through the heating chamber. The conveyor l has its open inlet endprojecting through one end Wall of the furnace and its discharge end closed by a `suidible closure and bearing member il which projects through the opposite Wall of Vthe furnace7 the opposite ends of the conveyor being rotatably supported upon suitable rollers 5 liournaled in the end Walls of the furnace. A feed drum G is secured otitside the furnace to the projecting inlet end of the tubular conveyor l and serves to supply material to the conveyor. The drum has its inner end secured to the open end of the tubular conveyor el: and its outer end is provided with aninlet opening 7 through which the material to be fed to the conveyor may be introduced. The inner Wall of the feed drum G has attached thereto a scoop S which gathers material vfrom the bottom of the drum' as it passes below the axis of row tation and delivers the material into a chute 9 which is also fixed to the inner end Wall of the drum during its movement above the axis of rotation, the chute 9 opening into the interior of the tubular conveyor V4:. The tubular conveyor and feed drum may be driven by a suitable motor 10 through a belt 'l1 passing over a pulley 12 secured to the inner end of the drum 6 andover a pulleyy 13 fixed to a countershaft 11i driven by the motor 10. The rotary tubular conveyor 4- is thus supplied With material from 'the Vfeed drum 6 and the feed drum and conveyor are continuously rotated so that the matew rial will be advanced through the` conveyor.

The interior of the tubular conveyor is provided with one or more helical krilos extending from the inlet end and termi nating adjacent the discharge end of the tube. lf a single helical rib is employed, this rib will form a single helical passage- Way for material along the inner surface of the cylinder and if a plurality of ribs are employed, a plurality of such helical pas* sageways will be formed. In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing, a conveyor having a single helical rib is shown and in Figs. 5 and 6 there is shown a conveyor having a plural ityof such `helical ribs. `Referring to Figs. 1 to Ll the rlblo terminates in an end por.

tion 16 at right angles `to the axis of the.

tube and spaced from the closed end thereof forming a discharge chamber 17 into which the material is delivered by the screw. The circular rib 16 terminates short of the end of the discharge end of the rib 15 so as to provide a passage for the material into the discharge chamber 17 and a partition rib 18 extends across the chamber parallel with the axis thereof at the end of the circular rib 1G. .is the tube rotates the material remains by grt'irity in the bottom portion thereof and is advanced in separate masses between suecessire turns ot' the helical rib 13 along` the .spiral passageway formed by the rib l5. Duringr each rotation oit the tubular con- `veyor a mass ol material is 'ted into the discharge chamber la as the discharge end of the helical rib l5 passes below the axis of rotation. This mass oit material will enter the chamber l? immediately in front 0i. the partition rib 1S and in order to distribute the diseln'trgre of material tl'iroimjhout the rotation ot the tube, the discharge chamber l? is provided with circumterentially spaced discharge openings lt) which vary in size. 'l`he smallest openings are placed adjacentI the partition rib i9 and increase in size away 'from the partition member in the div rcetion of rotation ot the tube. the lastopening;h being,l a .large opening i3() adjacent the oiiposite side o'lI the rib ,ttl to insure the complete discharge et each mass ol material. mass ot material enteriinr the chamber 17 is deposited over the smaller ot the discharge openings lll and during the rotation ot the tube the successive openings oit pro- `grossively increasing;I diameter pass beneath the mass of material so that the material is discharged with substantial uniformity throtre'htmtj the rotation of the tube. The nnlterial discharged from the chaniber 17 passes through a discharge opening' 2l in the bottom et the furnace onto a chute Q2 which delivers the material to the tpienehingg1 tank.

ln lli 5 and (l et the drawingr a n'iodilied conveyor etmstrnctitm is shown in which the tube is provided with a plurality o't parallel helical ribs 223 forming a corresponding number othelical passareways on the interior ot the tube trom the inlet to the discharge end thereol. Each passageway so formed discharges into a separate discharge chamber lil occupying ctptal spaces about the periphery ot the discharge portion, these chambers beiner separated by partition ribs Q5 similar to the partition rib 1S and the periphery oit the discharge portion of the tube being' provided with small openings Qt? to cach ot the spaces Q-'t at the end thereof: into which the nniterial is delivered and with a large opening 21T adjacent: the opposite end ol cach oli the spaces fil so that ,nniterial entering' the discharge portion is t'lelivered thereto over the small openings so that; a portion ol" the material will be discharged weerom through these openings and then upon con tinued rotation the remainder ol the material will be discharged through the large opening.

Haring described my invention, l claim:

l. The combination with a v.'r'urnaee haring a heating` chamber, ot' a conveyor extendiiie within the el'lan'iber, said conveyor erlnnprising a horizontally disposed 'tubular men'lber haring' an inlet, a disci arge portion and a helical internal rib extending,r from the inlet 'to the discharge portion, said discharge por tion having a closed end spaced :from said internal rib and peripl'teral discharge openings spaced cireumtercntially and ot in creasingr size away .trom the end oil. the rib in the direction opposite the direction of roi tation ot the tnhrdar member.

The etnnbinatitm with a furnace having.; a heating chamber, ot a rotary tube extending within the chamber, said tube harinar an inlet. a discharge portion closed at its outer end, and a plurality of parallel internal hcliezlliY disposed ribs cxtendiinr from the inlet to tlnl discharge portion, said discharge portion harina' a peripheral outlet adiaeim each ol .said internal. ribs.

Il. "ifhe eombimition with av 'furnace haring a heating' chamber, olE a conveyor ci@ tendiniy within the chamber, said conveyor comprising' a htnizontally disposed tubular member having an inlet, a discharge portion and a helical rib extending' trom the inlet to the discharge portion, said discharge portion haringa a closed end .spaced trom the end oit' said internal ril and having an :internal rib extending' axially 'from the cud ot the helical rib to the closed end, said discharge portion having spaced dischai openings tln'tmnhont its t'zirtnunterence which increase in size away :from said axial rib in a direction opposite the dircctirm ot" rotation ot the tubular member.

4;. 'l`he combinatimi with a Furnace haring a heatinga chamber, o t.t a rotary tube extending' within the chamber, said tnhe having an inlet, a discharge portion closed at its outer end and a plurality el` pzn'allel internal helicalhY disposed ribs extending; Yfrom the in let to the discharge portion, said discharge portion having a longitudinal ril entendim.,r :trom the end ot" each helical rib to the closed end and having' a pcripluo'al outlet: adjacent each of' said internal ribs.

ln testimonyv rthererfal, l hereunto allix my signature.

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